NAIROBI, Kenya, May 6 – Olympic champion and World Record holder Eliud Kipchoge will take a stab at running a sub two-hour marathon for the second time after he agreed to be part of the Ineos 1:59 challenge this year.
This confirmation effectively rules out the 34-year old from defending his Berlin Marathon title in September as well as the World Championships in Doha or any other Marathon as he focuses on the project, the second of his career.
“Running the fastest marathon ever was the proudest moment of my career. To get another chance to break the magical two-hour mark is incredibly exciting. I always say that no human is limited, and I know that it is possible,” Kipchoge stated, as quoted by the Guardian.
“I learnt a lot from my previous attempt and I truly believe that I can go 26 seconds faster than I did in Monza two years ago. It gives me great pride to accept the challenge presented by INEOS. I am very excited about the months of good preparation to come and to show the world that when you focus on your goal, when you work hard and when you believe in yourself, anything is possible,” Kipchoge noted on the INEOS official website.
The last great barrier in modern athletics, and the greatest marathon runner of all time.
Eliud Kipchoge will attempt to break the two-hour barrier in the INEOS 1:59 Challenge later this year.
No human is limited.#INEOS159https://t.co/VwMG785yfK pic.twitter.com/ERZTQuKdMb
— INEOS 1:59 Challenge (@INEOS159) May 5, 2019
Kipchoge will look to earn inspiration from Sir Roger Bannister who achieved what many believed to be impossible and ran the world’s first sub-four-minute mile at the Iffley Road track in Oxford 65 years ago.
The World Record holder made his first attempt in Monza, Italy in 2016 in a project undertaken by his sponsors Nike and labelled BreakingTwo where he came 25 seconds close to running under the two hour barrier.
Kipchoge however went on to break the World Record last year at the Berlin marathon clocking two hours, one minute and 39 seconds, taking 78 seconds off the previous record held by Dennis Kimetto.
At this year’s London Marathon where he made history becoming the first ever man to win the race four times, Kipchoge ran the second fastest marathon ever clocking two hours, two minutes and 38 seconds, breaking his own course record.
INEOS have always believed that individuals can excel when challenged, and great teams can achieve extraordinary results. We’re proud to be the team behind @EliudKipchoge. #INEOS159 pic.twitter.com/6xgR22vFRI
— INEOS 1:59 Challenge (@INEOS159) May 6, 2019
The venue for INEOS 1:59 Challenge is currently being decided, with a number of options that offer a flat looped circuit being investigated for the event which is planned for late September or early October 2019.
INEOS 1:59 Challenge is being supported by INEOS, one of the world’s largest manufacturing companies, which also sponsors the children’s running charities, GO Run For Fun and The Daily Mile.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the richest man in Britain and Founder/Chairman of INEOS says, “Eliud Kipchoge is the greatest ever marathon runner and the only athlete in the world who has any chance of beating the two-hour time. We are going to give him every support and hopefully witness sporting history”.
Ratcliffe has funded cycling and sailing teams before and has in many occasions expressed interest of buying London club Chelsea FC from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.
Eliud will be supported by Patrick Sang, his inspirational long-term coach, and the team that has led him throughout his successful career who will do all they can during the preparatory phase to ensure that nothing is left to chance.
“He is a truly special athlete with incredible levels of mental resolve. Throughout his dazzling marathon career he has pushed the event to a new stratosphere and with the right preparation, I believe he has the ability to make history,” Sang said.
